Yachtico
Yachtico is an international yacht-charter booking company offering crewed and bareboat yacht rentals.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Yachtico is an international yacht-charter rental and booking company focused on connecting travelers with locally operated charter fleets. Its offering covers both professionally crewed yacht vacations and bareboat charters, in which qualified customers rent a vessel without a professional crew. The company works with local charter operators rather than presenting itself primarily as a yacht owner, giving customers access to a distributed inventory across several cruising regions. The business was founded in 2010 by Steffen Bruenn. Its online booking platform entered beta in May 2011, initially targeting customers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and pursuing a broader European orientation. At launch, Yachtico reported access to almost 10,000 yachts supplied by local charter companies, with the principal geographic concentration in Europe and the Caribbean. The company's initial funding came from its founder and angel investors in the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Yachtico's service model combines online search and booking with destination-specific charter inventory. Customers can select yachts available with an optional professional crew, while some vessels are offered for bareboat use. The company has described its operating footprint as extending through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Thailand, and Malaysia. This gives the brand a position between a specialist travel marketplace and a distribution partner for yacht-charter companies. A significant corporate development occurred in 2015, when Yachtico moved its headquarters to the United States and established its main base in Boca Raton, Florida. The company had links with the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University and recruited several key employees directly from the university environment. It also announced plans to create 50 jobs in Boca Raton. Berlin remained associated with the company's European operations. The brand has pursued distribution through established travel-industry channels. From October 2015, Yachtico yacht vacations were made available through the Sabre travel-agency network. In 2017, it was described as the only yacht-charter supplier in the Travel Leaders Network, broadening its access to professional travel advisors. The company also received external recognition, including a 2017 Florida Companies to Watch award and a 2020 ranking among the top three U.S. yacht-charter companies for bareboat charters. More recent recognition has emphasized service and customer satisfaction. In 2025, YACHTICO was identified as an award winner in the nationwide Deutschlands Beste Online-Portale program associated with ntv. The reference material also records recognition in 2026 through the Deutscher Service-Preis, another nationwide service-quality award associated with ntv. The available information does not establish Yachtico's ownership structure, financial performance, current executive roster beyond its founder, or a current official website URL. It is therefore best characterized as a privately held, active yacht-charter marketplace and travel-distribution brand with European origins and a U.S. headquarters.
History
Yachtico was founded in 2010 by Steffen Bruenn as a yacht-charter booking business with an international and particularly European orientation. Rather than relying solely on company-owned vessels, the business built its proposition around inventory supplied by local yacht-charter operators. This marketplace-style model allowed the company to present a broad selection of yachts and destinations while connecting customers with regional providers. The first version of Yachtico's online booking platform entered beta in May 2011. Its initial commercial focus was Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, although the business was designed around a wider European market. At that stage, Yachtico had access to nearly 10,000 yachts, chiefly in Europe and the Caribbean. The fleet included vessels available for professional crewed vacations and boats that could be chartered on a bareboat basis. Initial investment reportedly came from Bruenn and angel investors located in the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. The company later developed a transatlantic operating structure. In 2015, Yachtico moved its headquarters to Boca Raton, Florida, while maintaining a European operational presence in Berlin. Its team had connections with the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, and the company recruited several important employees from the university environment. Yachtico also announced plans to create 50 new positions in Boca Raton, reflecting an effort to establish the Florida location as a meaningful base rather than simply a legal address. Distribution partnerships became an important part of the company's growth strategy. From October 2015, Yachtico yacht vacations were available within the Sabre travel-agency network, making its inventory accessible through a major professional travel-distribution channel. In 2017, Yachtico was described as the only yacht-charter supplier in the Travel Leaders Network. These relationships positioned the company as a specialist supplier for travel agencies as well as a direct-to-consumer online booking platform. Yachtico's geographic coverage includes the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean, Thailand, and Malaysia. The company's service is organized around charter type, destination, and vessel availability. Customers may select a yacht with a crew or, where permitted and appropriate, arrange a bareboat charter. Local charter companies remain central to the operating model, supplying vessels and regional expertise. The brand received recognition during the later 2010s and 2020s. In 2017, it won the Florida Companies to Watch award. In 2020, Yachtico was listed among the top three U.S. yacht-charter companies for bareboat charters. The reference material further records awards in 2025 and 2026 associated with German service and online-portal rankings: Deutschlands Beste Online-Portale and Deutscher Service-Preis. These recognitions indicate that customer satisfaction and service quality became prominent elements of the brand's public positioning. Available reference material does not provide verified information about a parent company, ownership changes, financial results, public listing, current chief executive, or a confirmed official website address. Accordingly, Yachtico's documented history is strongest on its founding, platform launch, geographic expansion, U.S. headquarters move, distribution relationships, and external awards.
- 2026
Deutscher Service-Preis recognition
[1]Yachtico is recorded as a winner of the Deutscher Service-Preis for service quality and customer satisfaction.
- 2025
Deutschlands Beste Online-Portale recognition
[1]Yachtico is recognized in a nationwide online-portal award emphasizing customer satisfaction and service quality.
- 2020
Bareboat-charter ranking
[1]Yachtico is listed among the top three U.S. yacht-charter companies for bareboat charters.
- 2017
Florida Companies to Watch award
[1]Yachtico is recognized as a winner of the Florida Companies to Watch award.
- 2017
Travel Leaders Network supplier position
[1]Yachtico is described as the only yacht-charter supplier in the Travel Leaders Network.
- 2015
Headquarters move to Boca Raton
[1]Yachtico relocates its headquarters to the United States and announces plans to create 50 jobs in Boca Raton, Florida.
- 2015
Sabre distribution availability begins
[1]Yachtico yacht vacations become available through the Sabre travel-agency network from October.
- 2011
Booking platform enters beta
[1]The beta version of Yachtico's online yacht-vacation booking platform goes live in May, initially targeting Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- 2010
Yachtico is founded
[1]Steffen Bruenn establishes Yachtico as an international yacht-charter booking business.
Products and positioning
A specialist international yacht-charter booking and distribution platform combining online reservations with inventory supplied by local charter companies.
Travel service
Crewed yacht charters
Yachtico offers access to yacht vacations operated with a professional crew. This format is intended for customers who want navigation, onboard operations, and other vessel-related responsibilities handled by experienced personnel. Availability depends on the local charter company, vessel, and destination.
Travel service
Bareboat yacht charters
Bareboat charters allow qualified customers to rent selected yachts without a professional crew. Yachtico presents bareboat inventory from local charter operators in destinations including the Mediterranean and Caribbean, subject to applicable qualifications, regulations, and operator requirements.
Travel booking platform · 2011
Online yacht-vacation booking platform
The company's core digital service enables customers and travel professionals to search and arrange yacht vacations across a distributed network of charter providers. The platform launched in beta in 2011 and supports the comparison and booking of different vessels, destinations, and charter formats.
Brand decisions
2017
Travel Leaders Network supplier expansionStrategyBackground
Travel-advisor distribution was a central route for expanding access to yacht-charter inventory.
Action taken
Yachtico was identified as the only yacht-charter supplier in the Travel Leaders Network.
Aftermath
The position increased Yachtico's visibility among travel advisors, but the source material does not provide details about exclusivity terms or duration.
2015
Relocation of headquarters to the United StatesStrategyBackground
Yachtico had European origins and initially focused on German-speaking markets, while also developing international investor and operating relationships.
Action taken
The company moved its headquarters to Boca Raton, Florida, and announced plans to create 50 local jobs while retaining a European presence in Berlin.
Aftermath
The relocation strengthened Yachtico's U.S. operating base and coincided with its subsequent relationships with the Sabre network and Travel Leaders Network.
2015
Expansion through Sabre's travel distribution networkStrategyBackground
Yachtico sought to make its specialist yacht inventory accessible beyond direct online customers.
Action taken
From October 2015, Yachtico yacht vacations became available within the Sabre travel-agency network.
Aftermath
The arrangement expanded the brand's reach among professional travel agencies, although the available material does not disclose commercial terms or booking volumes.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/yachtico · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled